Iraq’s former Deputy Prime Minister, Tareq Aziz, sentenced to death

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Supreme Criminal Court has issued a decision on Tuesday for the execution of three of Iraq‘s former high-ranking officials during former President Saddam Hussein‘s regime, including former Deputy Prime Minister, Tareq Aziz, according to the semi-official Iraqiya TV Channel. “The Supreme Criminal Court has issued a decision to execute three leading members of the former (Iraqi) regime, charged with the elimination of the religious parties, including former Deputy Prime Minister, Tareq Aziz,” the Iraqiya TV Channel said, adding that the two other former officials were former Interior Minister, Saadoun Shaker and Saddam Hussein‘s Office Chief, Abed Hamid Hmoud. Tareq Aziz, 74, was the only Christian member in Saddam Hussein‘s leadership, who handed himself up to the U.S. troops after their occupation of Iraq in April, 2003, and had been among very few membersof Saddam’s regime who escaped death till this date. Tareq Aziz is looked upon by the world at large as having been the leading spokesman in the name of Saddam Hussein‘s dictatorial regime, as he held the post of deputy prime minister in 1991, after holding the foreign minister’s post for a long time. Aziz had charged U.S. President, Barrak Obama, with “having left Iraq for the wolves,” when Obama issued his decision to pull out the U.S. combat troops, despite the escalation of terrorism in Iraq recently. He had also been sentenced for 15 years under charges of having contributed in the execution of 15 Iraqi merchants, during the previous regime, along with another 7-year sentence for his role in forcing large numbers of Iraqi Kurds to leave their home towns in northern Iraq. SKH 1